Scottish Executive

Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funds it has made available to local authorities to cover the implications for them of the abolition of feudal tenure.

Hugh Henry: No funds have been made available. It is difficult to predict the administrative costs to local authorities arising from the abolition of the feudal system, but it is expected that these can be met from existing resources. As with any other individual or corporate body, it is a matter of choice for the local authority as to what, if any, action it wishes to take. The legislation does not require any action generating unavoidable costs for councils.

  It is unlikely that local authorities will have incurred much expense to date, as the feudal system will not actually be abolished until 28 November 2004. It is currently possible for authorities to register notices in the property registers in order to save certain types of feudal right and authorities have been advised of the best way to ensure that they will retain a say in relation to housing complexes where they still own some of the properties. It is not anticipated that authorities will wish to use a large number of notices, and so the registration costs should not prove to be significant.

Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has regarding the impact on local authorities of the abolition of feudal tenure.

Hugh Henry: Although the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act received Royal Assent in 2000 it will not take effect until 28 November 2004. Local authorities will have until November to preserve certain special types of right and even after that they will still be able to preserve their rights over housing estates where they retain some properties. After the feudal system is abolished, local authorities will have to modify their practice when selling land to take account of the types of title conditions which will be permitted in future. The process by which authorities may preserve rights over housing estates was simplified following consultation with authorities when the legislation was being considered.

  The Executive wrote to the chief executives and principal legal officers of all Scottish local authorities on 7 May 2003, outlining the main areas of reform and suggesting actions which councils might wish to consider. The Executive will be producing further general guidance on its programme of property law reform later in 2004.

Apprenticeships

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest available figures are from the enterprise networks for the numbers of those in training under the Modern Apprenticeship Scheme, and how many of these individuals it expects to be in full-time employment within (a) three months, (b) six months and (c) one year after the completion of their training.

Mr Jim Wallace: I announced on 6 May that there are currently 31,392 Modern Apprentices in training. The retention of apprentices is a matter for individual employers.

Births, Deaths and Marriages

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Divorces (Fees) (Scotland) Regulations (SI 1998/643), with particular regard to extending the time available to carry out an internet search session.

Hugh Henry: The Births, Deaths, Marriages and Divorces (Fees) (Scotland) Regulations (SI 1998/643) were reviewed in February 2003 following discussions with the internet site’s user group, and the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Divorces (Fees) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2003 (SSI 2003/89) extended the time available to carry out an internet search session from 24 to 48 hours. There are no plans at present for any further extension. In the longer term, a wider review of the site’s charging structure is planned, with the aim of achieving discounted and less restricted access for heavy users of the site, or to allow institutions such as libraries to give access to the site through their facilities to users who may not have their own internet access or credit cards.

Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it is envisaged that the review of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 will be complete.

Tavish Scott: I understand that the independent task group expects to submit its report to ministers by the end of June.

Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether explicit reference is likely to be made to the regulation of lapdancing clubs when the review of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 is completed.

Tavish Scott: As ministers have specifically asked the independent task group reviewing the licensing provisions contained in the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 to consider the regulation of lapdancing clubs, it is expected that this matter will be incorporated in its report. The issue of premises used for adult entertainment is also being considered by the Executive in relation to its consideration of The Nicholson Committee Report, Review of Liquor Licensing Law in Scotland .

Culture

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the value is of the music industry in terms of employment and contribution to the economy in the current year and what the value has been in each of the last three years.

Mr Frank McAveety: This information is not routinely collated nor centrally compiled. The most recent relevant data is contained in the 2003 Mapping the Music Industry in Scotland report compiled independently on behalf of Scottish Enterprise. Economic and employment data for 2003 obtained for the report include the following: £106 million generated annually in sales and music services; the industry is made up of approximately 2,040 full-time employees and 2003 part-time workers, and annual consumer spending of around £331 million on musical instruments and live and recorded music.

Culture

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its strategy is to support the development of the music industry.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Executive’s support to the music industry is channelled primarily through the Scottish Arts Council, the Scottish Enterprise/Highlands and Islands Enterprise networks and the Scottish Enterprise Creative Industries Team. Working both independently and in partnership these bodies provide the music industry with a wide range of strategically supportive initiatives.

Diabetes

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to address the issues raised in the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland’s report National Overview – March 2004: Diabetes .

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Diabetes Group will be responsible for monitoring progress in addressing the issues raised in the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland national overview, and will take account of these as part of the current process of reviewing the Scottish Diabetes Framework. The diabetes Managed Clinical Networks being developed in each NHS board area will be the main vehicle for local implementation of the messages from both the national overview and the local report, and have already begun to consider this. Progress will be recorded in each network’s annual report.

Diabetes

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources will be allocated to support the roll-out of the Scottish Care Information – Diabetes Collaboration system across Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Care Information - Diabetes Collaboration (SCI-DC) is a £3 million national programme to provide effective IT to support the delivery of diabetes care. The SCI-DC team, all the SCI-DC software and the central hardware are funded by the Scottish Executive Health Department. Boards are reimbursed for 50% of the costs of local hardware purchased specifically for SCI-DC implementation. In recognition of the widespread interest in and support for the SCI-DC systems, and in light of the findings of the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland national overview report (March 2004), the Scottish Diabetes Group and NHS Quality Improvement Scotland are identifying additional funding to appoint a Project Officer to help co-ordinate implementation.

Diabetes

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS boards are considering the potential of patient-held care plans for diabetes.

Malcolm Chisholm: A number of boards have already experimented with patient-held care plans but none have introduced them for all patients. This is something which the local diabetes Managed Clinical Networks will wish to consider, given the success of the patient-held records developed by the cardiac services Managed Clinical Network in Dumfries and Galloway.

Disability Discrimination Act 1995

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for an information campaign to raise awareness of business and service provider obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA).

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to inform business and service providers of penalties they can face as a result of failing to meet obligations under the Disability discrimination Act 1995.

Ms Margaret Curran: The DDA is reserved to Westminster and the UK Government is working with the Disability Rights Commission to promote awareness of the legislation throughout Great Britain. The Scottish Executive has no plans for a separate Scottish campaign.

Disability Discrimination Act 1995

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for the provision of access within a school that allows service providers to use a school for purposes other than education or associated services when Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 comes into force on 1 October 2004.

Ms Margaret Curran: Responsibility for the provision of access within a school that allows service providers to use a school for purposes other than education or associated services depends on the facts and circumstances of each individual case.

Economic Development

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive by how much the economy has grown since 1999 and how this compares with other European economies.

Mr Jim Wallace: GDP growth in Scotland between 1999 and 2003 was 7.2%. The comparable figure for the UK (at basic prices) was 9.0%. The UK growth figure for GDP at market prices is 10.1%.

  GDP for Scotland is measured in basic prices whilst GDP figures for other countries are measured in market prices so they are not strictly comparable. The difference between the two measures is that the basic price measure does not take taxes and subsidies into account.

  Growth in GDP (Market Prices)

  


Country

% 
  Growth 1999-2003



Austria

6.6%



Belgium

6.3%



Denmark

5.5%



Finland

10.7%



France

7.9%



Germany

4.2%



Greece

18.2%



Italy

5.6%



Netherlands

4.2%



Portugal

4.4%



Spain

12.0%



Sweden

9.6%



UK

10.1%



EU15

7.6%



  Source: OECD Quarterly National Accounts

Electricity Act 1989

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 have been made to it for hydro schemes from (a) public limited companies and (b) private companies and other bodies since 1999.

Lewis Macdonald: Fourteen applications for consent under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 have been received since 1999 in respect of hydro schemes. Of these, 11 were made by public limited companies and three by private companies.

  The following applications have been made since 1999:

  (a) Public Limited Companies

  


Cuileig

SSE



Garrogie

Innogy



Kingairloch

SSE



Braevallich

Innogy



River E

Innogy



Stronelairg

Innogy



Glen Doe

SSE



Douglas Water

Innogy



Fasnakyle Extension

SSE



Tummell Refurbishment

SSE



Alt Hallater

Innogy



  (b) Private Companies and Others

  


Ben Glas

Ambient Hydro 
  Ltd



Alt Fionn

Ambient Hydro 
  Ltd



Shieldaig/Slattadale

Highland Light 
  and Power Ltd

Electricity Act 1989

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many consents for hydro schemes under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 it has granted to (a) public limited companies and (b) private companies and other bodies since 1999.

Lewis Macdonald: Five such projects have been granted consent. All these applications were made by public limited companies.

  The details are as follows:

  


Cuileig

SSE



Garrogie

Innogy



Kingairloch

SSE



Braevallich

Innogy



Fasnakyle Extension

SSE

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who it has commissioned to undertake research into business decisions on innovation and research and development in order to increase business investment in research and development compared to OECD competitors, as referred to in target one of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning chapter of its Annual Evaluation Report 2005-06 ; what the researcher’s remit is and when the researcher’s findings will be reported.

Lewis Macdonald: Following a competitive tender the Scottish Executive commissioned DTZ Pieda Consulting and the Science, Technology and Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex to undertake research into business decisions on innovation and research and development.

  The researchers have been asked to explore: the ways in which firms make decisions regarding the development of new products and processes, and the importance of different factors influencing the extent, type and location of activity undertaken in support of product and process development. The study will also explore the reasons why particular firms do not undertake research and development or innovation.

  It is planned to publish the results of this research in the summer of 2004.

Environment

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been undertaken into the health effects of ambient noise on (a) all adults, (b) adults with mental health problems, (c) adults with hypertension and cardiovascular disease, (d) adults and children with hearing impairment, (e) adults with learning difficulties, (f) all children, (g) children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or social emotional behavioural difficulties and (h) children with hypertension or cardiovascular disease.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Chief Scientist’s Office (CSO), within the Scottish Executive Health Department, has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health and health care needs in Scotland. The CSO is largely a response mode funder of research and has not funded or received any research proposals on this subject.

  The National Research Register (NRR) records five projects on the health effects of ambient noise on (a) all adults, one project on (c) adults with hypertension and cardiovascular disease and four projects on (f) all children. The NRR does not record any research on the health effects of ambient noise on (b) adults with mental health problems, (d) adults and children with hearing impairment, (e) adults with learning difficulties, (g) children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or social emotional behavioural difficulties and (h) children with hypertension or cardiovascular disease.

  Details of these projects are available from the NRR, a copy of which is in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 17404).

Environment

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources will be allocated to local authorities to implement the EU ambient noise directive 2002/49/EC.

Allan Wilson: As explained in the answer to S2W-7530 on 6 May 2004, options on how best to implement Directive 2002/49/EC are being finalised to form part of a consultation paper to be issued later this year. The consultation paper will also provide advice on any resource implications for local authorities and other stake holders involved in taking forward obligations flowing from the directive. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Flooding

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will develop an action plan on flooding similar to that developed by the UK Foresight Programme and whether it will require the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and COSLA to contribute to such a plan, as their English counterparts have done.

Allan Wilson: The recently published UK Foresight Report on Future Flooding is supported by a Future Flooding Action Plan to which the Executive contributed. In line with this plan, we will take into account the outcome of the Foresight report in planning our flood risk management research and in the ongoing development of the Executive’s own National Flooding Framework and associated action plan.

  Output from the National Technical Advisory Group, which we established last year, will be integral to the further development of the Executive’s Action Plan. The SEPA, SNH, COSLA and other key stakeholders are represented on the National Technical Advisory Group and are making a valuable input to the work of this group and, thereby, to the implementation of the Executive’s action plan.

General Agreement on Trade in Services

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis it has made of the effects of liberalisation of services under the General Agreement on Trade in Services on its areas of responsibility.

Mr Jim Wallace: The regulation of international trade is a reserved matter. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Department of Trade and Industry and other Government departments on a range of trade issues, including those relating to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).

  The Scottish Executive is liaising with the DTI on the progress of the GATS negotiations, and maintains an ongoing assessment of any potential impact of GATS on its responsibilities. This will continue to inform our discussions with DTI, in order to ensure that Scottish interests are considered.

General Practitioners

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how the position of resident GP in the practice of Dalmally will be advertised and whether the advertisement will appear on the NHS website.

Malcolm Chisholm: The advertising of a vacancy for a general practitioner is a matter for the local NHS board.

Holyrood Inquiry

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the advice received by the First Minister in respect of whether he would give oral evidence to the Holyrood Inquiry will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Patricia Ferguson: It was a matter for the inquiry to decide whether to ask the First Minister to supplement his written evidence by attending the inquiry in person. As was made clear in their statement of 25 March 2004, they decided not to do so on grounds that all the relevant issues they wished to ask the First Minister about had been answered in his letter to the Inquiry of 23 March. A copy of that letter has already been published on the Holyrood Inquiry website, as has the inquiry’s response.

Housing

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Communities Scotland will be providing funds in the next year for the construction of affordable housing in (a) Inverclyde, (b) Renfrewshire and (c) Scotland as a whole.

Ms Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Out of a total Development Programme of £264 million, Communities Scotland will in 2004-05 provide £5.4 million in Inverclyde, £9.6 million in Renfrewshire for the construction of affordable housing.

  In addition, a further £20 million has been set aside to be used specifically for the Executive’s own affordable housing review, due out later this year.

Justice

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-30312 and S2W-113 by Mrs Elish Angiolini on 17 October 2002 and 2 June 2003 respectively, how many reports to procurators fiscal were marked "no proceedings" for reason of (a) time-bar, (b) delay by police/reporting agency, (c) lack of court resources, (d) procurator fiscal staff shortage and (e) delay by procurator fiscal in 2003-04, broken down by sheriff court district.

Mrs Elish Angiolini QC: The figures requested are as follows:

  

 2003-04
 Time-Bar
 Delay 
  Police/RA
 Delay 
  PF
 Lack 
  of Court Resources
 PF 
  Staff Shortage


 Aberdeen
 1
 155
 0
 0
 0


 Airdrie
 399
 494
 18
 0
 0


 Alloa
 4
 20
 0
 0
 0


 Arbroath
 0
 47
 0
 0
 0


 Ayr
 11
 231
 0
 0
 0


 Banff
 1
 22
 0
 0
 0


 Campbeltown
 0
 6
 0
 0
 0


 Cupar
 0
 51
 0
 0
 0


 Dingwall
 10
 13
 9
 0
 0


 Dornoch
 0
 1
 0
 0
 0


 Dumbarton
 0
 117
 5
 0
 0


 Dumfries
 14
 48
 1
 0
 0


 Dundee
 47
 101
 3
 0
 0


 Dunfermline
 12
 51
 3
 0
 0


 Dunoon
 1
 26
 0
 0
 0


 Duns
 4
 5
 0
 0
 0


 Edinburgh
 492
 1,128
 81
 0
 0


 Elgin
 3
 26
 1
 0
 0


 Falkirk
 101
 89
 115
 0
 0


 Forfar
 3
 2
 0
 0
 0


 Fort William
 0
 9
 1
 0
 0


 Glasgow
 957
 1,812
 77
 0
 0


 Greenock
 23
 34
 0
 0
 0


 Haddington
 1
 63
 0
 0
 0


 Hamilton
 226
 485
 10
 0
 0


 Inverness
 17
 93
 23
 0
 0


 Jedburgh
 0
 2
 2
 0
 0


 Kilmarnock
 23
 178
 0
 0
 0


 Kirkcaldy
 75
 108
 0
 0
 0


 Kirkcudbright
 3
 3
 1
 0
 0


 Kirkwall
 1
 6
 0
 0
 0


 Lanark
 10
 11
 0
 0
 0


 Lerwick
 0
 12
 0
 0
 0


 Linlithgow
 47
 122
 0
 0
 0


 Lochmaddy
 0
 4
 0
 0
 0


 Oban
 1
 7
 2
 0
 0


 Paisley
 23
 153
 10
 0
 0


 Peebles
 0
 7
 0
 0
 0


 Perth
 5
 61
 2
 0
 0


 Peterhead
 0
 4
 0
 0
 0


 Portree
 0
 7
 0
 0
 0


 Rothesay
 2
 4
 0
 0
 0


 Selkirk
 3
 54
 0
 0
 0


 Stirling
 40
 64
 8
 0
 0


 Stonehaven
 0
 2
 0
 0
 0


 Stornoway
 0
 2
 0
 0
 0


 Stranraer
 0
 8
 0
 1
 0


 Tain
 1
 6
 0
 0
 0


 Wick
 1
 7
 0
 0
 0



  The effective partnership working between Strathclyde Police and the Strathclyde Area Procurators Fiscal has maintained an overall reduction in the number of cases marked no proceedings because of police delay in Strathclyde of around 70% when compared to the previous year. Nationally, the number of cases marked no proceedings because of police delay has reduced by around 60%.

Justice

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-33923 and S2W-116 by Mrs Elish Angiolini on 10 March and 2 June 2003 respectively, how many cases were marked "no proceedings" in 2003-04 because of a non-court disposal, broken down into warnings, conditional offers, fiscal fines and diversions from prosecution.

Colin Boyd QC: As indicated in the answer given to question S2W-116 on 2 June 2003, cases in which there has been a non-court disposal are not marked "no proceedings" and do not form part of any no proceedings data provided by Crown Office.

  The numbers of cases closed by non-court disposals in the categories listed for the period 2003-04 are as follows:

  

 Total 
  Reports Received
 Cases 
  Closed as Warning
 Cases 
  Closed as Conditional Offer
 Cases 
  Closed as Fiscal Fine
 Cases 
  Closed as Diversion from Prosecution


 325,461
 21,920
 8,690
 30,029
 1,342


 As % of Total Reports
 6.7%
 2.6%
 9.2%
 0.4%

Legal Aid

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs have been to the Scottish Legal Aid Board in respect of cases appealed to the House of Lords in each of the last five years.

Cathy Jamieson: The figures are:

  

 
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04


 House of Lords
 £57,000
 £86,000
 £106,000
 £2,000
 £72,000


 Judicial Committee of the Privy 
  Council
 
 
 £228,000
 £99,000
 £110,000

Legal Aid

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what it anticipates the annual cost will be to the Scottish Legal Aid Board of cases being presented to any newly-formed UK Supreme Court.

Cathy Jamieson: It is not possible to anticipate with any accuracy the annual cost to the board of cases presented to the Supreme Court. The number of cases in any year is likely to be small and the costs will vary depending on the needs of each case. However, Scottish ministers do not expect that the costs each year will be greater than that which would have arisen in the House of Lords and Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Local Government in Scotland Act 2003

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what records it is keeping of the use by local authorities of their power to advance well-being under section 20 of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003.

Mr Andy Kerr: The power to advance well-being is designed as an enabling measure, giving local authorities the freedom to work in a more innovative and creative way in responding to the needs of their communities.

  The overall intention of the act is to offer trust within a framework: it is for the local authority to decide whether any particular action would be likely to promote or improve the well-being of its area and/or persons in it. Accordingly, local authorities are not required to report to the Scottish Executive on how they have used, or intend to use, the power, and no records will be maintained centrally.

  Guidance on the use of the power was issued by Scottish ministers in April 2004 (The Local Government in Scotland Act 2003: Power to Advance Well-Being Guidance). It may be found on the Executive’s internet site at the following address www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/localgov/pawbg-00.asp.

Local Government in Scotland Act 2003

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003, when it will bring into force (a) the remainder of section 8 and section 9, (b) section 11, (c) the remainder of section 35 and section 36 and (d) section 40 and what the reasons are for each of these sections not yet being brought into force.

Mr Andy Kerr: Sections 35 and 36 of the Local Government in Scotland 2003 were fully commenced on 1 April 2004. The commencement of the other sections referred to depend on regulations being laid and approved by the Scottish Parliament.

  The Scottish Executive has undertaken to consult local authority associations and others before laying regulations under the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 to ensure that they - and any subsequent guidance - are clear, unambiguous, and take practical issues into account. The consultation and feedback processes have been paced to ensure that overload and confusion is avoided.

  Regulations to be laid under section 11 will be published in draft within the next month for consultation.

  Consultation on the content of regulations to be laid under section 40 was undertaken earlier this year and regulations are currently in development.

  Consultation on the content of regulations to be laid under sections 8 and 9 is planned to commence this summer.

Ministerial Meetings

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, what arrangements are in place to publish all official engagements of the First Minister and Scottish ministers.

Patricia Ferguson: Details of major engagements are set out in news releases issued on the day and at the daily media briefings. A note of the daily media briefing and copies of all news releases are posted on the Executive’s website.

Ministerial Visits

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to S1W-33632 by Patricia Ferguson on 17 February 2003, whether arrangements have been put in place to hold centrally the list of such ministerial visits to each parliamentary constituency and, if so, whether these will be published.

Patricia Ferguson: No arrangements have been put in place. As I made clear in my response to S1W-33632, it is for individual ministerial private offices to ensure that constituency MSPs, Regional MSPs and MPs are notified when official visits take place.

NHS Finance

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards are entering 2004-05 carrying forward deficits and what the level of each such deficit is.

Malcolm Chisholm: Only three NHS boards are expected to enter 2004-05 with brought forward deficits; NHS Argyll and Clyde (£36 million), Grampian (£6.2 million), and Lanarkshire (£23.5 million). The audited annual accounts for NHS boards are not yet available and both the number of boards, and the figures, may change.

NHS Finance

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards are projecting overspend budgets for 2004-05 and what the levels of such projected overspends are.

Malcolm Chisholm: NHS boards are still finalising their budgets for 2004-05. Any figures provided at the current point in time would be preliminary estimates and could therefore be misleading.

NHS Staff

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1972 by Malcolm Chisholm on 3 September 2003, whether it has received the findings of "The Temple Review" led by Professor Sir John Temple and, if so, on what date they were received; what the implications of these findings will be for the review of the provision of acute medical services in the west highlands, presently under consideration by NHS Highland and NHS Argyll and Clyde, and when MSPs and the public will be given access to the findings of the review and what the reasons are for its position on the publication of the findings.

Malcolm Chisholm: A preliminary report on the findings and recommendations within the "Temple Review" was submitted by Professor Sir John Temple on 17 December 2003.

  The formal report will be published shortly. The Scottish Executive will also be issuing a separate report, which will provide its response to the recommendations. When published, the report will be in the public domain.

  The report should inform any changes in the delivery of services across NHSScotland. The primary responsibility for service reform and redesign rests with individual NHS boards.

Planning

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-136 by Ms Margaret Curran on 6 June 2003, when it intends to publish the consultation paper on a third party right of appeal against planning decisions.

Ms Margaret Curran: I announced the publication of our consultation paper Rights of Appeal in Planning on 1 April.

Planning

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what external research it has commissioned to inform the forthcoming planning consultation.

Ms Margaret Curran: On 1 April we published two consultation papers, Rights of Appeal in Planning and Making Development Plans Deliver . On 8 April we published a further consultation paper, Satellite Dishes and Other Antennas: Consultation on Possible Changes to Planning Regulations . These papers were informed by discussions with a wide range of stakeholders.

  Making Development Plans Deliver was additionally informed by our programme of planning audits, pilot projects on local planning with Highland and South Lanarkshire Councils and takes account of responses to the earlier consultation on the Review of Strategic Planning.

  Current planning research projects which are relevant to our aim to modernise the planning system include work on the use of model policies, case studies of public involvement and resources for planning.

Prison Service

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-33537 and S1W-34414 by Mr Jim Wallace on 27 February and 31 March 2003 respectively, whether the Crown Office can provide a record of convictions in relation to offences of violence or other similar category of offences at HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  As the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service does not record cases by the locus of the offence, the information requested is not available.

Prison Service

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, what the cost was of, and how many cells are in, the new houseblocks at (a) HM Prison Edinburgh and (b) HM Young Offenders Institute Polmont.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  

 Establishment
 Cost 
  (£ million)
 Number 
  of Cells


 HM Prison Edinburgh
 18
 224


 HM Young Offenders Institute Polmont
 17
 211

Prison Service

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2298 by Cathy Jamieson on 9 September 2003, what conclusions the Scottish Prison Service has reached in considering how best to prepare and publish more disaggregated performance information for individual prisons.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The SPS has now introduced a revised performance framework from 1 April 2004 which will provide more disaggregated output performance information for all SPS establishments. This will be incorporated in the future editions of SPS annual reports.

Prison Service

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners may occupy a prisoner place, as defined in the Scottish Prison Service’s key performance targets.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Scottish Prison Service’s Key Performance Indicators do not specify a number of prisoners.

Prison Service

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3121 by Cathy Jamieson on 14 October 2003, who was responsible for the proportionate increase to the baseline figures in the calculation of the payment for the services of HM Prison Kilmarnock to reflect the provision of additional prisoner places being incorrect.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Scottish Prison Service.

Prison Service

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-1869 and S2W-3121 by Cathy Jamieson on 9 September and 14 October 2003 respectively, why the proportionate increase to the baseline figures to reflect the provision of additional prisoner places was incorrect.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  It was a clerical error.

Prisoner Escorts

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what training obligations are undertaken by Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd as part of its contract to escort prisoners; how these obligations are monitored, and what sanctions exist for breach of these obligations.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  Prisoner Custody Officers (PCOs) undergo a six-week training programme. The structure and topics of the training and the content of the training programme is validated by SPS. The training modules are based upon the relevant National Training Organisation Standards. All prospective PCOs are required to pass this training in order to be certified as PCOs.

Prisoner Escorts

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the monitoring framework for the operation of the Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd contract in Dumbarton Sheriff Court.

Cathy Jamieson: I asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

Prisoner Escorts

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what training will be provided for the Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd staff due to operate in Dumbarton Sheriff Court and what the content and the duration of any such training will be.

Cathy Jamieson: I have Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of The Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-7560 on 11 May 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Procurator Fiscal Service

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, for each non-police reporting agency that provides reports to the procurator fiscal, which agencies provide electronic reports and, for each agency that does not, when it expects the agency to introduce electronic reporting.

Colin Boyd QC: Only two specialist reporting agencies provide electronic reports to Procurators Fiscal: the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and South Ayrshire Council. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is establishing a secure web site that will allow all other specialist reporting agencies to provide reports on-line to Procurators Fiscal by the end of 2004.

Public Private Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether no worker has faced less favourable terms and conditions as a result of a transfer of undertakings from the public sector to a PPP following the protocol agreed with the Scottish Trades Union Congress in 2002.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Executive/STUC staffing protocol has been implemented as part of the PPP process. I am not aware that any employee has transferred since the introduction of the protocol.

Public Private Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact PPP/PFI projects have had on the capital costs of each local authority.

Mr Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-7724 on 5 May 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Regional Selective Assistance

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who it has consulted on the proposed methodology that it is considering for applications for Regional Selective Assistance to be assessed against its sustainable development objectives, as referred to in target three of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning chapter of its Annual Evaluation Report 2005-06 .

Mr Lewis Macdonald: The procedural changes being introduced were not subject to external consultation since they represented the application of existing Executive policy to a well-established scheme.

  The methodology was agreed by ministers as being consistent with the sustainable development objectives described in the Executive’s policy document, Meeting the Needs….Priorities, Actions and Targets for Sustainable Development in Scotland, published in 2002.

Renewable Energy

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7186 by Lewis Macdonald on 26 April 2004, whether the directive will apply to developments planned before 21 July 2004 and adopted between July 2004 and July 2006.

Lewis Macdonald: Council Directive 2001/42/EC is concerned with plans and programmes, and will not apply to individual developments.

Renewable Energy

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7186 by Lewis Macdonald on 26 April 2004, what impact it considers that wind farms have on the environment.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive’s support for all forms of renewable energy recognises the contribution that they can make towards reducing harmful emissions, thus helping to protect and preserve Scotland’s environment. The local environmental impacts of each proposed development will vary, and are assessed against existing and robust planning guidelines as part of a consultative process involving all key stakeholders.

Renewable Energy

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7186 by Lewis Macdonald on 26 April 2004, what would constitute a new plan or programme for the purposes of the directive.

Lewis Macdonald: Article 2 (a) provides a definition of "plans and programmes" for the purposes of the Directive. Work on the precise implementation of the Directive is currently being taken forward by Executive officials.

Renewable Energy

Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will treat existing hydro-electric generating schemes in relation to its renewable energy targets.

Lewis Macdonald: Generation from existing hydro-electric schemes is classified as renewable, and therefore included as such when calculating renewable electricity output in Scotland.

Roads

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to remove road maintenance functions from local authorities.

Nicol Stephen: The Executive has no plans to remove local road maintenance functions from local government.

Roads

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is an alternative strategy to allow the A75 to bypass Dunragit in Wigtownshire in view of the presence of monuments of national importance on the originally preferred route for such a bypass.

Nicol Stephen: Due to the extensive area covered by the Scheduled Ancient Monument it has not proved possible to design a new road line which bypasses Dunragit. Instead a scheme is being designed to improve the trunk road to the east of the village. This will provide dedicated east and westbound overtaking opportunities and the replacement of the Challoch Railway Bridge. The existing road through the settlement will be retained and improved to make it safer for pedestrian movements.

Scottish Executive Consultations

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on publishing its consultations in each year since 1999.

Mr Andy Kerr: All Scottish Executive consultation documents for the last six years can be found on the Scottish Executive website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations/default.aspx. There is currently no central record of costs and extracting those for consultations could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Sewel Motions

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) statutory instruments made by a Minister of the Crown or Her Majesty in Council and (b) Acts of the UK Parliament have amended (i) an Act of the Scottish Parliament, (ii) an Act of Parliament relating to a devolved area and (c) a Scottish Statutory Instrument in each year since 1 July 1999.

Patricia Ferguson: The information requested is not recorded in the form specified. However, (a) statutory instruments and (b) acts of the UK Parliament are published on Her Majesty’s Stationery Office website, which can be accessed at www.hmso.gov.uk, and include those which have amended (i) an act of the Scottish Parliament, (ii) an Act of Parliament relating to a devolved area and (iii) a Scottish Statutory Instrument since 1 July 1999. Also, in relation to (b) acts of the UK Parliament, any which amend legislation relating to a devolved area will have been subject to one or more of the 54 Sewel motions (covering the 49 bills listed below) so far approved by the Scottish Parliament.

  Bills for which Sewel Motions have been Approved

  

 Food Standards


 Financial Services and Markets


 Electronic Communications


 Limited Liability Partnerships


 Sea Fishing Grants (Charges)


 Representation of the People


 Sexual Offences (Amendment)


 Political Parties, Elections and Referendums


 Regulation of Investigatory Powers


 Learning and Skills


 Race Relations (Amendment)


 Insolvency


 Care Standards


 Government Resources and Accounts


 Criminal Justice and Courts Service


 Health and Social Care Modernisation


 Tobacco Advertising and Promotion


 International Criminal Court


 Outworking


 Criminal Justice and Police


 International Development


 Culture and Recreation


 Armed Forces


 Adoption and Children


 Proceeds of Crime


 Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security


 NHS Reform and Health Care Profession


 Police Reform


 Enterprise


 Private Hire Vehicles (Carriage of Guide 
  Dogs etc.)


 Extradition


 Waste and Emissions Trading


 Criminal Justice


 Crime (International Co-operation)


 Local Government


 Sexual Offences


 Railways and Transport Safety


 Health and Social Care (Community Health 
  and Standards)


 Fireworks


 Legal Deposit Libraries


 Planning and Compulsory Purchase*


 Health Protection Agency*


 Energy*


 Gender Recognition *


 Higher Education*


 Asylum and Immigration (Treatment for Claimants)*


 Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community 
  Enterprise)*


 Civil Contingencies*


 Justice (Northern Ireland)*



  Note:

  *Signifies yet to be enacted.

Social Inclusion Partnerships

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-5817 by Hugh Henry on 10 February 2004, how much funding was allocated for tackling drug misuse through social inclusion partnerships (SIP) in (a) 1999-2000 and (b) 2000-01, broken down by (i) local authority and (ii) NHS board area.

Ms Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  No discrete funding for tackling drug misuse was allocated to SIPS in 1999-2000. Details of the allocations for tackling drug misuse funding for 2000-01, broken down by Local Authority and NHS board, are shown in the table below.

  

 Local Authority
 2000-01


 Aberdeen City
 30,000


 Argyll and Bute
 30,000


 Clackmannanshire
 30,000


 Dundee
 35,000


 East Ayrshire
 60,000


 Edinburgh
 95,000


 Glasgow
 455,000


 Inverclyde
 50,000


 North Lanarkshire
 35,000


 Renfrewshire
 60,000


 South Ayrshire
 60,000


 South Lanarkshire
 50,000


 West Dunbartonshire
 60,000


 Total
 £1,050,000


 NHS Board
 2000- 
  01


 Grampian
 30,000


 Argyll and Clyde
 140,000


 Forth Valley
 30,000


 Tayside
 35,000


 Ayrshire and Arran
 120,000


 Lothian
 95,000


 Greater Glasgow1
 515,000


 Lanarkshire
 85,000


 Total
 £1,050,000



  Note:

  1. Includes figures for Glasgow SIPs and West Dunbartonshire SIP.

Student Loans

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs to it are for each £1 loaned by the Student Loans Company.

Mr Jim Wallace: The costs to the Executive are the long-run resource cost of providing student loans to Scottish domiciled students and a proportionate share of the running cost of the Student Loans Company. The most recent estimate for 2003-04 suggests that this average cost is 38.3p in every £1 loaned.

Tartan Day

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many invitations it received from organisations and legislatures in the United States of America inviting ministers, parliamentarians and officials to attend Tartan Day events this year and how many such invitations were accepted.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Executive's Scottish Affairs Office in Washington acted as the point of contact for invitations to Tartan Day events for ministers and officials from the Executive. Where appropriate they also did so for representatives of the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh and Glasgow City Councils and other visitors from Scotland.

  Scottish Executive ministers and officials received invitations and attended the following Tartan Day events:

  New York Caledonian Club lecture (officials only)

  Kirkin' of the Tartan Church Service (officials only)

  Tartan Day parade (officials only)

  VisitScotland Business Tourism lunch

  Dressed to Kilt Reception

  Icons of Scotland Awards Dinner

  Scottish Development International Financial Services Event

  Matt McGinn Tribute Concert

  National Tartan Day Committee and Friends of Scotland Reception, Washington, DC

  UK Ambassador's Reception at British Embassy

  The First Minister also accepted an invitation from the Provost of Columbia University to give a keynote address on "The New Scotland; Attracting Fresh Talent".

  In addition, ministers took the opportunity to undertake a range of meetings and engagements in line with the Executives key policy areas including Fresh Talent, business, tourism and urban regeneration. Further details of these can be found in the answer to S2W-7676 on 26 April 2004.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Taxation

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it estimates the reform of stamp duty will have on (a) its budget and (b) the budgets of local authorities.

Mr Andy Kerr: We do not expect the changes in Stamp Taxes announced in the UK March Budget to have a significant impact on either the Executive or local authority budgets.

Taxation

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to Her Majesty's Government with regard to the impact of stamp duty land tax on the Scottish system of conveyancing land.

Hugh Henry: Prior to the introduction of Stamp Duty Land Tax, there were discussions between the Inland Revenue, the Justice Department and the Law Society of Scotland in relation to the implications for Scottish property transactions. Registers of Scotland were also consulted in respect of the impact Stamp Duty Land Tax would have on the two property Registers (the Land Register of Scotland and the General Register of Sasines). Those discussions resulted in a special arrangement for certain transactions where there may be a risk to the purchaser if the title deed is not submitted quickly for registration in the appropriate property register.

Teachers

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers have been recruited from outwith Scotland in each of the last five years.

Peter Peacock: To teach in education authority schools in Scotland teachers must be registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS). The table below sets out the number of teachers from outwith Scotland gaining admission to the GTCS’s register in each of the last five years. The figures may exclude those teaching in the independent sector as they are not required to register with the council. They will also exclude teachers who were previously registered with the GTCS but who have been teaching outwith Scotland. Information on the employment pattern of those who achieve exceptional admission to the register is not held centrally.

  Number of Exceptional Admissions to the General Teaching Council for Scotland Register

  


Year
 



1999

689



2000

619



2001

693



2002

696



2003

731

Voluntary Sector

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support is being offered to encourage the creation of new charities.

Ms Margaret Curran: As part of our work to support the charity sector, draft legislation is currently being prepared to improve the regulatory framework for charities. This will simplify the process of obtaining charitable status; establish a statutory register of charities operating in Scotland, and allow the new regulator to measure the number of charities created under this new process.

  The Executive also commits very substantial funds to the wider voluntary sector. And we continue to support the national network of Councils for Voluntary Service, which has a key role in helping to create new voluntary groups in response to local needs.

Voluntary Sector

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its volunteering strategy and the report of the working group established to develop proposals for a full-time volunteer programme for young people.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive Volunteering Strategy, which aims to embed a robust culture of volunteering in Scotland, is being published today. The centrepiece of the strategy is Project Scotland, the programme proposed by the working group to encourage full-time volunteering by young people. Scottish ministers have approved plans for the creation of a new delivery agency, independent of government, to run the scheme and to source private sector investment. This partnership between public, private and volunteering sectors will be chaired by Julia Ogilvy. The Scottish Executive has allocated £1.9 million/£3.5 million/£3.5 million of new funding over the next three years to take the scheme forward. Both the Scottish Executive Volunteering Strategy (Bib. number 32519) and the working group report (Bib. number 32520) can be accessed at the Parliament’s Reference Centre and can also be found at www.scotland.gov.uk/viu.

Water Services

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that liberalisation of the water service under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) would be beneficial for the service and, if not, what steps it is taking to oppose such liberalisation.

Ross Finnie: Matters relating to the regulation of international trade, including responsibility for GATS negotiations, are reserved to the UK Government. The UK Government has confirmed that it has no intention of pressing for water services to be included in future GATS commitments and that to date no requests have been received for the UK to do so in the current round of negotiations.

Water Services

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on privatising the water supply.

Ross Finnie: The Executive remains fully committed to retaining water supply in the public sector. The Water Services Bill will prohibit third parties from using the public water and sewerage networks, ensuring that Scottish Water remains the sole physical supplier of water and sewerage services to all premises connected to the public networks. This prohibition, together with the prohibition on retail competition to domestic customers and provisions to license retail competition for non-domestic customers will reinforce our commitment to retain Scottish Water in the public sector.

Water Services

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to the European Union on the inclusion of water services in the latest round of liberalisations under the General Agreement on Trade in Services

Ross Finnie: Matters relating to the regulation of international trade, including responsibility for GATS negotiations, are reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Executive has ensured that the UK Government’s representations to the European Union on GATS reflect the Executive’s commitment to retain Scotland’s public water services in the public sector.

Water Services

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assurances it can give that Scottish Water will remain as a public corporation under the provisions of the draft Water Services Bill.

Ross Finnie: The Executive remains committed to retaining Scottish Water as a publicly owned corporation. Scottish Water's status will not be affected by the forthcoming Water Services Bill.

Water Services

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assurances it can give that Scottish Water will be protected from privatisation under the provisions of the draft Water Services Bill, if water is included in the latest round of liberalisation under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).

Ross Finnie: Matters relating to the regulation of international trade, including responsibility for GATS negotiations, are reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Executive has ensured that the UK Government’s representations to the European Union on GATS reflect the Executive’s commitment to retain Scotland’s public water services in the public sector, and the UK Government has confirmed that it has no intention of pressing for water services to be included in future GATS commitments. Nothing in the GATS process affects the Scottish Executive’s right to determine policy on how water services are provided in Scotland. The forthcoming Water Services Bill will not affect Scottish Water's status as a public corporation.